So I am not sure what the hell happened, first of all, but a reviewer alerted me that the final part of last chapter had somehow disappeared at some point…and sure enough…somehow an incomplete version of last chapter was posted with the final half completely gone. I honestly…am not sure how that's possible when I didn't even edit, let alone save changes to last chapter since shortly after it was posted. And at no point did that include erasing anything. So, that being said you may notice some slight differences if you go back and read the chapter because I had to rewrite the missing portion from memory, but I feel it's pretty close to the original for the most part.
And measures have been taken to make sure it doesn't happen again, or it somehow does, I'm not forced to rewrite anything...If anyone else has had experience with this issue, I would be interested to hear it. Hopefully this is some strange fluke.
Would like to briefly take a minute to say thanks to everyone who continues to review and support this fic. I can't believe I now have a fic with over 1k reviews! Honestly, popularity was never what it was about, but nevertheless, it's nice that so many readers have embraced this story I've become fond of writing.
This chapter only contains the POVs of two people: Madara and Sakura. I usually do anywhere from 3-4 POVs but this just worked better for the focus of this one...hope everyone likes it~
He hated mediating.
Sitting and listening while pretending to care as two fools prattled on about what wasn't even his concern…
If this was what Hashirama's day normally consisted of, then he was glad it hadn't been him saddled with the Hokageship. "The first deposit was found closer to Chigiri's shore than Genzai's! A small fraction may have washed there, but the supply should be ours alone." Yamane concluded, leering from under the hair that hung to his shoulders. The man was unimpressive and reminded Madara faintly of some nameless ronin he'd once encountered—and slain—in the distant past. He too had thought of himself as much higher than his station, and they shared the same greedy shine to their eyes.
"Lies," Awata grumbled, shifting in his seat. "The tides have evenly dispersed the deposits to both our islands lately, but…the source remains at the very middle of the land bridge. If Genzai can't boast superior claim, than it can at least boast equal claim." The scarecrow of a man was, at the very least, more presentable than his counterpart. Stern and dressed in a deep green yukata with calculating eyes hidden behind rounded spectacles, compared to Yamane's near slovenly appearance he at least managed to convey more poise.
One of Madara's eyes was already closed, hidden behind his bangs. The only thing keeping him from dozing was the irritating drawl of their voices, and the spread of food the inn had provided for them, inari-zushi among the treats. Not for the first time, he wondered at the futility of his presence there, of the entire mission.
Across from him sat the leaders of Chigiri and Genzai, both of them insisting they had sole claim to the abundance of rare seafloor mineral deposits washing up onto shore near the small land bridge connecting their islands. Lying on the table between all of them, was a sampling of the, admittedly very alluring mineral deposit. Jutting out of what looked like an unassuming chunk of rock was what they were calling minamatori.
Madara had never seen a clearer, deeper shade of blue, a bottomless sapphire so dark it bordered obsidian. Although, impressive as the mineral was to look at, that was hardly a reason to fight so adamantly for it. There was undoubtedly more to the story than was being disclosed to him. "If I may…" he cleared his throat, catching their attention. "I can understand the need to jealousy guard such a rare mineral, perhaps on principle alone. But as impressive as it is to look at, and as much of a boon as it might be to export, I find it hard to believe that an agreement couldn't be worked out prior based simply because of those things. Both of the messages you sent to Konoha made it clear not even your daimyo wants anything to do with this…petty squabble."
The men bristled, affronted, but neither attempted to interrupt. "Konoha is but an emerging village itself. I simply thought that, Chigiri being in the same position, our villages would both prosper through cooperation." Madara saw right through him. Not that me made it hard with his shifty eyes and oily smile.
"I find it interesting." The Uchiha explained. "The proposal and the notion itself. Water Country is famously known for the savagery of its people and the pervasuaviely insular attitude."
"Savagery?" Awata huffed. "You speak as if you yourself don't hail from a clan who fought endless battle after endless battle with the Senju until not long ago. And for what? Not for land nor for resources…for what amounted to boasting rights. Who could drive the other toward extinction faster? You have no grounds to tell us that— "
"Infighting between the islands for resources is nothing new, but everything about the mainland especially is frowned upon here." Madara continued, helping himself to more inari-zushi. "It begs the question why now? If Konoha was a more established village that had been in existence longer, I could understand the clout you'd gain from trade. But whatever we can offer you, aside from the odd commodity manufactured in Fire Country, you can mostly find here. And in your trade offers, neither of you mentioned this…minamatori mineral being on the table." The men shared an apprehensive look, the Uchiha delighting in having the upper-hand. "If it's so precious and you're both so desperate you're willing to let foreign village resolve the dispute, why not dangle the most enticing thing possible?"
"Because it doesn't belong on the mainland, that's why!" Yamane growled. "This island's all but lost. There are more dead here than there are living now. And our islands are next! It's already started…might not be happening as quick as it is here, but in a month's time, we'll all be goners. Wouldn't really concern you mainlanders though, would it?"
"That is to say," Awata sniffed primly. "Whoever receives the full supply of minamatori, will be saved by the purifying properties that legends say it contains."
Sakura dabbed at her face with a damp cloth, blinking sweat from her eyes. Her latest butterfly dissipated, leaving behind an increasing heaviness in her gut. Not late into the afternoon and she knew she had consumed dozens. The woman who had been watching over the process was weeping silently, bending over to press a kiss to her child's brow.
The toddler's eyes fluttered open, and like most of the others she'd helped, he looked dazed and unsure. All apprehension vanished the minute he recognized his mother, reaching his little arms out to her. The mother looked at Sakura as if she'd brought light to the sun, her overwhelmed state stopping her words. Sakura didn't need them; she could feel the woman's relief, and she understood. Mother and child embraced, and despite the weariness settling in her bones, she smiled.
She was reaching her limits. She could easily feel it. Yesterday, after treating those whose afflictions were the most severe, Sakura had been forced to stop and stagger back to the inn. Her body was so exhausted she hardly cared about Madara seeing her in such a state, and after he'd thrown her onto the futon, sleep had deep and, to her knowledge, dreamless. Although…there had been a time where she could have sworn she caught a glimpse of gold-green eyes and felt the press of a cool palm on her forehead.
With each blight she took in, Mizuchi's sharp warning hammered through her head alongside the pain of her headache. Human beings weren't meant to eat concentrations of dark energy, and certainly not in such high volume. Maybe she would live to regret it all later… Her body already regretted it now. But her wellbeing aside, she was a healer above all else. When she saw helpless people dying in front of her eyes and knew she could rescue them, it was alright to be a little reckless.
"I don't believe this!" Kou shouted, speaking to a female healer. "You're saying everyone healed by Sakura yesterday is really…"
Sakura peered over her shoulder, listening quietly.
"Yes. Recovering nicely. Weak and tired of course, but no one died through the night for the first time since the illness struck. Festering wounds that never stopped bleeding are finally closing."
"She's been brought here to do miracles." A third healer joined them. "Whatever dark cloud was hanging over us, I feel as though maybe the storm's finally passing. Is that too optimistic?"
Kou laughed, clapping his shoulder. "No such thing, my friend. We've been at this so long, a little good cheer goes a long way."
Pride surged in her chest. Not only was she saving lives, but lightening the burden on the local medics. And so maybe she was stretching herself thin, pushing limits that had only recently been established with these newfound…powers. But she had an obligation, as far as she was concerned.
"Finished already? We owe you so much." The bell-like voice made her stiffen for a reason she couldn't understand. Erika slid next to her, eyes crinkling. Her palms touched together as she brought her hands in front of her.
Erika was the same as she had been the day before, aside from being less reserved. Attributing the reaction to tiredness, Sakura opted to take the praise in stride. "No, you really don't. At any rate, that should be everyone here, right? I'll be moving on soon to the other islands, but if there's anything you need me to do for you here, now's probably the time to let me know."
Erika appeared surprised, blinking twice before tapping a finger to her lips. "I think you can afford to take a rest. Everyone here is out of danger now. I'm still not sure I've ever seen a technique like that, but…the acolytes have heard about yesterday. According to them, Iwanagahime is pleased."
"Anything to keep a goddess happy." Sakura said, only half-joking.
Erika giggled, reaching out and clasping one of the kunoichi's hands between both of her own, smile still intact. "That's why they'd like to meet with you. Tonight."
Unable to hide her reaction, Sakura sat up straighter, her eyes expecting to find Erika's pleasant smile had become teasing. Instead, the young girl's face was openly pitying.
Carefully slipping her hand from between Erika's, Sakura frowned. "I hope they don't take it the wrong way when I don't show up."
Erika gasped, glancing around before she brought her head closer to Sakura's, cool breath ghosting across the pinkette's cheeks. "You have to! You don't just turn them down. Outsiders like you and I have to be especially careful not to upset the order of things."
Sakura wasn't satisfied with that. "I think if anything, we've restored the order." She gestured around them, at the people who would have been dead without their aid.
"You're right," Erika sighed. "Of course you're right. But from their perspective, they have every right to be…curious." She explained diplomatically. "After all, this is only your second day here, and you've miraculously cured everyone on the island. Well, that we know of… Not to mention the…" Erika hooked her thumbs together and flapped her hands. "Butterflies? They're just trying to get to the bottom of things."
Sakura huffed. "I'm not sure what's going to happen even if they do get their answers. So maybe you can understand from my perspective why this all doesn't sit well."
The younger healer only sat back on her heels, shrugging helplessly. "They'll come for you. And when they do, it's in your best interest to go quietly."
"Erika!" Kou called from across the clinic, oblivious to the tension of their conversation.
Suddenly, what had been a worried face melted into child-like excitement. Erika rose. "Apparently, duty calls!" Leaving her cryptic advice to hang in the air, the child skipped off.
The clinic had felt less somber than the day before, but now there was a new chill hanging in the air. One Sakura suspected only she could feel. There was one fact she knew, and that was that these…devotees considered themselves the chosen of a goddess. Sakura herself now reluctantly counting herself among the "chosen", wondered if they had caught on. Mizuchi described blight creation as something that deities could do with ease, and on a whim.
Those calling themselves followers of Iwanagahime, a goddess legend claimed was out for revenge, likely knew that. The question on her mind was how they felt about what she'd done. Fanatical types could be…unpredictable. A zealot who believed they were serving a higher purpose was doubly so. Ino had once told her about the Akatsuki who'd killed Asuma-sensei, Hidan. She'd explained how he didn't care about anything except the "Way of Jashin"…
Every fiber in her anticipated danger and confrontation. As loathe as she was to admit it, informing Madara might not be such a bad idea. Then again, it almost felt like he'd been avoiding her since the night before. Upon waking up, she'd found him gone. Of course, that could also be attributed to the fact that the mediations were supposed to happen first thing in the morning. Either way, Sakura hadn't seen him since the previous night.
Her memories were blurry but she couldn't imagine doing anything that embarrassing. Collapsing into him wasn't ideal, but it wasn't taboo. The thought that she could have said something strange flitted through her mind. Regardless, if that was the case, it could wait.
'I don't have time to overthink stupid things. I need to get ready for tonight.' Assuming Erika's words rang true, the acolytes knew exactly where to find her. What they wouldn't find her, however, was unprepared.
Madara fought the urge to scoff loudly. Haruno either overestimated her own stealth, or she had somehow forgotten he was also a shinobi with acute senses. She started to exit their room, pausing briefly with a sigh before the creak of the closing door signaled her exit.
He continued to feign sleep until he couldn't hear her footsteps—or the second set obviously following her—before crossing the room to peer out the window. It offered a view of the inn's front side, and though the heavy mist was low to the ground, Madara saw Haruno and a cloaked individual. They talked shortly and the figure pointed toward the mountains on the outskirts of the village. Through investigation, he'd learned that was where the shrine dedicated to Iwanagahime sat. It was a safe bet that was where they'd be headed.
It wasn't long before the two decided to move on, the Uchiha watching as the mist swallowed them whole. Whatever Haruno thought she was about to do, she wouldn't be doing it without him confronting her, then and there. Madara pulled a shirt over his head and found his sandals. When she had uttered that strange sentence the night before, he had granted her some leniency in not questioning her, wanting to wait until the mission was over.
But now she was sneaking away in the dead of night, with one of the shadiest individuals he had ever seen, and he refused to allow her to jeopardize the mission. Whatever she was embroiled in went beyond the scope of what they were there for. That much was clear. Madara secured as many concealed weapons as possible, grabbing up his gunbai and leaping from the window.
Undeniably, the temple was beautiful. Lit inside by a long string of candles mounted in ornamental holsters, the pristine white stone glowed. Unlike any other shrine she'd ever seen, the entire structure was stone, built high into the mountainside and spiraled into different levels.
Sakura let her eyes adjust before setting to work committing her surroundings to memory. The entire floor was a mural that depicted what appeared to be Iwanagahime, along with a man or woman in similarly old-fashioned attire. Going by Joben's story, she deduced it was likely her sister, Konohanasakuya, and the god who spurned her, Nihongi. While Nihongi was kneeling before Konohanasakuya in a proclamation of love, Iwanagahime was further away, eyes downcast. The artist had gone through great lengths to capture the emotions on each other faces, and so Sakura was privy to the anguish etched into every line of the older goddess's countenance.
Circling the entirety of the rounded circumference was a clear wading pool, small strips of floor dividing the water into four equidistance, curving rectangles. In the center of the room, a large stone carving of Iwanagahime looked up to the heavens, a violacia resting in her cupped hands. At the statue's feet, a dozen more cloaked followers prostrated themselves in silent worship. Each one with the lavender blossom in the center of their white-clothed backs.
However, the acolyte she was following didn't so much as pause, Sakura glaring at his back as she climbed the stone steps that brought them to the temple's second floor. Where the first floor's room had been circular, the space of the second was rectangular.
It boasted a long walkway covered by a series of domed arches that brought them to a pair of closed wooden doors behind a marbled throne. On each side of the throne were a set of steps that disappeared into the darkness of a tunneled entrance. Sakura could only guess it would bring them to the highest point of the temple, their true destination. Guard up, Sakura clutched at the kunai concealed at hip, ready to act on a moment's notice.
The sheer brightness of the temple's open top level had her pupils shrinking as she and the acolyte emerged from the dim tunnel. Sakura saw the same white stone from the first floor in arcing pillars that joined to form a dome with an unobscured view of the night sky. Again, a mural under their feet rendered a rather melancholy scene of the all too familiar Iwanagahime, kneeling and surrounding by her violacia. Standing in a circle, still and silent, Sakura found people waiting for them. Unlike the robed acolytes, they were miko, distinguishable by their white haori and red hakama.
The acolyte at her back pushed at her shoulders, urging her forward. Glowering, Sakura took a hesitant step. A man in a thick shishoku and a regal bearing met her halfway, smiling gently. "So, the healer from afar…" he bowed and, unsure what else to do, Sakura returned it. "We've been told of your feats." He continued. "You saved many people since arriving. Is that correct?"
Sakura pressed her lips together, guarded eyes sweeping over the assembly of individuals all watching her passively. She was surrounded, acolytes blocking the stairs at her back. If necessary, she was sure she could fight her way through, but only if it came to that. "I did."
"Hmm…" The priest's thick brows furrowed, a long gray caterpillar that had found a home on his face. His heavy sleeves hid his hands as he brought them together. "Yes. I worried about this."
"Worried?" Sakura felt words lump together in her throat and her heart skip a beat. "I…I don't understand. The people of Sekai were dying by the dozens, weren't they? I stopped that. I saved them."
"Yes you did, and in doing so…you disrupted the balance." His eyes were hard to see, but his mouth had taken on a grave line, eyebrows dipping sternly.
Erika had warned her. In a strange way. The order. The balance. "Healer, for generations we have done what we thought was best, guided by faith in our goddess. Finally, she had a message delivered to us. Before you arrived, we learned…were told that calamity would befall us, and that we were not to interfere. As long as we did not, none of us would be stricken. Such is the will of our deity. We allowed the healers to try healing the villagers. We knew it would all be in vein, after all. She assured us." Pausing, the priest cleared his throat, beckoning toward her. Sakura's shoulders tightened, wondering when she would have to defend herself. Maybe, she should preemptively strike. Would it be blasphemous? He was a priest, a holy man… "And then you arrived."
He came closer, and the ring of miko followed, closing in. Rigid, Sakura withdrew her kunai in warning. "There's no need for it to come to that." He tutted. "We only ask you stop here and now. And all will be forgiven. You planned to travel to the other islands and heal more, yes? There's no need. Rather, that's not what our goddess wills."
"I'm not stopping." Sakura bit out. "I'm not going to stand by and watch. It doesn't matter what a goddess wants, because I follow my own will."
For the first time, some of the miko behind him broke their silence, gasping. "Sacrilege." She heard one murmur, aghast. The mist, even thicker so high in the mountains than it was in the village, curled around her in a damp chill and Sakura's arm twitched.
The priest held up a pacifying hand, although his countenance was still stern. "Your will, you say? I'm not sure I can believe that. Blights are not something human beings can place nor remove on their own…not without…divine help."
When her face slipped into muted horror, something sinister broke over him, lips curling in a smile that showed all his teeth. "From one humble servant to another, I ask you to join us. If you won't stop, put your blessing to better use. Surely, you can create more blights as easily as you extracted them."
A bead of sweat trickled down from her hairline as the kunoichi bit her lip. 'I wouldn't call it easy. I thought I was dying.'
"Expelling them is in your best interest." One of the miko added. "I can sense the taint inside you. It'll corrode away at you, reduce you to a husk."
The priest extended a hand, his face little more than a polite snarl. "Iwanagahime welcomes followers as talented as yourself."
Desperately, Sakura called on Mizuchi. The mark on her wrist throbbed ruthlessly, and she hissed, pressing it to her thigh while still holding out her kunai. The connection felt thin, the dragon deity's presence faint and unresponsive.
"Before you refuse…" The priest shook his head. "Know that we can be persuasive in ways that may sting." With a wave of his hand, the miko took bows from their backs and notched arrows, all trained at her. "Being chosen by a divine being means you should at least be afforded some measure of protection. Arrows may incapacitate you, but one or two through the heart would hardly prove fatal."
In that instant the odds had shifted. While there was no doubt in Sakura's head she could overpower them singlehandedly, armed with smaller weapons like kunai and senbon left her at a disadvantage. Even super strength wasn't much help when they could fire at her from a distance. A quick look up reminded her of the stone pillars above all their heads that would topple in an instant with a well-placed punch.
Nevertheless, Sakura refused to go quietly, and fighting at a disadvantage was far from new for her. "I still re—"
"Intruder!" No sooner had the scream rang out than the acolytes standing guard near the stairs were disarmed, falling to the ground.
Madara's sudden appearance clearly baffled the priest and miko, but Sakura was sure she'd never been so glad to see him before, as much as she wouldn't admit it. Their eyes met, the Uchiha advancing toward her. Unsurprisingly, the acolytes that had given chase from previous floors surged up through the opposite stairway, cutting Madara from her sight.
Surrounded, Sakura threw an elbow behind her, managing to catch someone in the throat. Using the momentum, she drove it up until she heard the satisfying crunch of a broken nose. They doze at her in droves, then, attempting to overwhelm her with sheer numbers alone. Though she stumbled onto her back, when the first body tried to pin her she was ready and planted both feet into the chest, pushing.
Four acolytes flew back from the force, and Sakura grabbed another looming over her in a headlock, snapping his neck. Beating them back allowed her the time to get to her feet, and she caught sight of Madara easily dispatching opponents on the other side of the space. "Haruno!" he roared. "I warned you against meddling!"
In the midst of it all, he was blaming her? Sakura pulled a face, about to yell back, only for her throat to be grabbed from behind. Jerking her head to the side to disrupt the hold, her arms flew up, angrily squeezing until she felt them buckling and heard the sharp yelp.
Flipping the attacker over her head, she spun him around as fast as she could, knocking back anyone who got too close. After clearing a path, she tossed him aside, running toward Madara with a cry of frustration.
Finally seeing an opening, the miko loosed dozens of arrows and Madara knew, despite her speed and the ability to hold her own in hand to hand combat, Haruno couldn't possibly dodge all of them. She realized that too, sucking in a deep breath with saucer-wide eyes as the arrows made a downward arc. Unfazed, he deftly wove through seals. A stream of fire incinerated the first wave, turning the deadly projectiles into harmless ashes.
As the second volley came, Madara leapt closer to her, dragging a nearby acolyte attempting to engage him in combat in front of them both and using him as a human shield.
Haruno only spared him a surprised blink before she was weaving out of the way of an oncoming sword, evading three consecutive swings before she was able to duck under the blade and drive her fist into the chin of her attacker.
The sword flew from his hands and he watched in amusement as she reached up and caught it, though narrowly. "Haah!" she cried, thrusting it into the stomach of yet another cloaked figure coming at her with his own blade. Mortally wounded, the acolyte crumpled to the ground, crimson soiling the robes.
"This isn't much of a dance. Not when they're using such uncoordinated moves." Madara murmured.
"You have a point," Haruno admitted, headbutting an enemy who'd tried to wrap her in a tight squeeze to immobilize her. Madara could have snickered when they let go with a whimper. "But they've got the numbers to keep doing this until they think we're tired out."
"Capture them!" The priest shrieked, still protected by his army of miko. "The girl especially must be contained."
Haruno rolled her eyes. "This is all because—"
"I know." Madara grunted. "It wasn't hard to twist information out of the first fanatic that confronted me." While what they were claiming was beyond the realm of believability for him, there was no denying what Haruno did—possibly even what she was—counted as unnatural. Her likely connection to the healer who had saved Izuna all but proved that.
Rumbling overhead distracted their remaining enemies, who were suddenly fixated above as clear sky shifted ominously. Given how easily distracted they were, Haruno made a break for it, charging right for the priest with steel in her eyes. "Cover me!" she hissed at him.
The miko moved in to circle him protectively with bows drawn, but Madara only had to swing his gunbai once for the concussive blast of air to send them all flying. Haruno latched onto the man's clothing, tackling him to the ground.
The Uchiha moved closer lazily, observing the woman's clenched jaw and hardened eyes. With their leader incapacitated, no acolyte nor miko dared interfere.
Haruno shook him hard. "Since you say you've got a direct line to the gods, tell me why they're blighting the entire country?"
Blight. The same word the woman had used all those months ago. What was it she'd said, exactly?
"A blight. The minute my sister marks those she deems unnecessary for death, she blights them."
Sputtering, the man violently shook his head. "I can't…" he gasped fearfully. "I won't…" The sky shook again with distant thunder, a lone drop of rain hitting Madara's nose. His eye shifted to what had been a calm nighttime sky not long ago. Now, it had all the makings of a rainstorm. Big and sudden.
"I'll tell you a secret," Haruno said, voice chillingly low. "Whatever you think your deity would do to you, whatever divine punishment you have coming won't save you from me. Get it?"
It could have been her tone, or the image of her pink hair messy and falling into her face as she leaned over her captive, but Haruno's performance was arousing. Madara felt his eyes briefly flickering into the Sharingan, his blood pounding in the way it only ever did in the heat of a passionate dance or a passionate bedding.
Refusing to let his mind spiral out of focus, he caged the heat, listening carefully to the man's response. "Balance." He spat. "It's all for balance. The heavens don't like discord. And when a chain reaction causes disorder, it must be righted at any cost."
"You are what has unbalanced the way of the heavens," An acolyte chimed in. "You are what our goddess says must be eradicated." A bright white flash tore the sky and warmed the air. Multiple voices cried out as a hot bolt of lightning darted toward them all. Once again, Madara's eyes activated, this time intentionally.
Miko and acolytes abandoned their priest and fled, the forked branches of electricity turning into the roaring maw of a dragon. Without the Sharingan searing the image into his brain, the shinobi wasn't sure he'd trust his eyes. The dragon struck the pillars so loudly it rocked the very structure of the temple, cracks forming under his feet.
Haruno somehow had managed to ignore it, her voice lost to the sound of the lightning as she continued to scream demands into the hysterical man. He had been slack underneath her strength, but one look upward had him scrambling to break free, scratching at her hands and babbling hysterically. The pillars overhead broke, large chunks of rubble crashing down around them as wind from nowhere howled at a fever pitch.
"Haruno!" Madara made to grab her, but he was thrown back, swatted away by an invisible hand. It was enough to snap the kunoichi out of her rage as she released her grip on the priest and turned. Her green eyes were large, lips parting but words lost to the wind this time. With his Sharingan, the rock falling toward her came down in slow motion.
Knowing she couldn't hear him, he pointed. She rolled in a half-dodge, pushing to her knees and shattering it to pieces with her fist. The lightning dragon roared audibly, twisting back around through the sky and striking what remained of the crumpling pillars. It was undeniable that the creature was attempting to crush one or both of them under rock.
Haruno attempted to move away, only to fall when a hand grabbed her ankle. The priest was laughing. He could see that much, his face something close to demonic as he held tight through the pinkette's attempts to dislodge his hand. Back on his feet, Madara easily kicked the deranged fanatic away, wrapping an arm around Haruno and flinging her away from the falling debris. He had every intention of holding this over her head, figuratively, into the indefinite future.
Instead of the annoyed face he was expecting, he saw her features pale and her eyes close as she screamed his name into the wind. She looked…worried. And the sharp chunk of stone that pummeled the back of his head explained why. As much as he wanted to pretend he was unaffected, his feet gave out instantly as gravity and the rock slammed him into the ground, the combined weight crushing. Crush…ing… There was no energy left to pick up his head, but he could at least focus on her feet. Her feet were running toward him—she, her, who?
He couldn't tell what came next, whether it was more rocks burying him, or his eyes succumbing to darkness.
A small disclaimer that the temple described here is just that…a temple more so than a traditional Shinto shrine. Because of the way I was envisioning the structure, I based the place more along the grounds of fantasy temples I have seen in pictures. The layout of most Shinto shrines don't normally deviate from ancient times, due to tradition…and so I decided that although these people are worshipping a Shinto deity (Iwanagahime, the "woman of the hour" so to speak), it would not be in a traditional setting.
A Shishoku is something worn exclusively by Shinto priests (both male and females in modern times).
A lot of people had budding theories about Erika, and about what exactly is going on. Feel free to keep theorizing. :3 Things are only going to get crazier from here on out.
If you're into a good bit of angst, then you won't be disappointed with everything else still to come for this arc. If you like team-ups and "boss" battles and especially Sakura being a bamf you also shouldn't be disappointed with what's to come. Mizuchi's training finally starts to show.
A small sidenote, but I will try to update some stories that have kind of been dormant for a while in weeks to come. No timeline or anything like that, but the next chapter of Wabi-Sabi is already in the works. For anyone who hasn't read that…I will warn that the tone of that is much, much different than this fic, or most of my other Sakura-centrics for that matter. Still, I welcome you to check it out if you might be interested. Other stories I will try to squeeze in updates for if I can find the free time (and motivation).
I'd appreciate reviews, as always. Especially in light of that recent development that uh…left Sakura and Madara in a pinch. Predictions, anyone?
